A controversial proposal to build a lithium-ion battery energy storage system in Rochester was struck down by the Thurston County Hearings Examiner last week.
“The record as a whole fails to demonstrate that the use is appropriate in the location proposed,” Thurston County Hearings Examiner Sharon A. Rice states in a decision dated Nov. 10.
Rice found that the proposed 5.4-megawatt lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) at 7505 183rd Ave. SW in Rochester would “impose an undue burden on the local fire district,” West Thurston Regional Fire Authority.
Rice also found the facility was not consistent with the purpose of the rural commercial center zone, “would not meet the everyday needs of the community, and it would not be functionally and visually compatible with the surrounding rural area.”
The facility was proposed by the North American energy storage company Convergent Energy & Power. It was intended to address possible rolling blackouts and other reliability issues as the demand for electricity in the Rochester area continues to grow, according to Convergent.
Rochester residents largely opposed the proposal, with 13 citizens testifying in person during the hearing on Oct. 14. Nearly 100 additional public comments, including letters from local tribes and the West Thurston Regional Fire Authority, were submitted between Jan. 2 and Oct. 20.
Primary concerns included the risk of fire associated with lithium-ion batteries and the attendant public health and environmental risks if a fire were to occur, including degradation of air and water quality.
“The concern regarding fire is not speculative,” Rice states in her Nov. 10 decision, as Convergent testified during public hearing that there have been 35 reported fires associated with the BESS technology and that there have been four fires associated with systems owned by the Convergent.
West Thurston Regional Fire Authority, the agency responsible for fire suppression in the project area, spoke about the extreme fire risks the proposed facility would pose.
“West Thurston Fire currently lacks adequate resources and training specifically tailored to managing large-scale battery storage fires. This may result in increased difficulty in effectively and safely managing an emergency situation,” Rice wrote in her decision, quoting testimony from West Thurston Fire Authority Chief Nathan Drake.
Drake noted that such fires also required specialized training and resources that the department currently lacked, and that the amount of water needed to combat the fire would exceed capacity.
Convergent has 14 days from the Nov. 10 decision date to file a notice of appeal.
To learn more about the proposal, visit the county’s hearing examiner page at https://tinyurl.com/ywcxnwwx.
For The Chronicle’s previous coverage, click here.
